


Sage

by victoriae350



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Adventure, Berk (How to Train Your Dragon), Eventual Romance, F/M, Inspired by How to Train Your Dragon, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 03:13:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15899742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoriae350/pseuds/victoriae350
Summary: When news spreads throughout the Archipeligo that a boy called Hiccup and a village called Berk are taming dragons, Viggo sends Sage to spy on Hiccup, and gather valuable information for an indefinite period of time. Believing this to be her chance to finally prove herself, Sage throws herself into the mission. But years with the Riders will change her differently than she hoped, and things may not turn out as planned. Snotlout x OC. AU.





	1. Prologue: The Girl with the Green Hair

**Prologue** : _The Girl with the Green Hair_

It was hot in the small cell.

Sage Beoluvance sat far back. The wall seemed a perfect comfort spot for her sore back, and despite her legs screaming at her, it didn't bug her. In fact, the more they screamed, the wider her grin spread across her face and the more she felt like enjoying the damp, steamy underground.

Nothing mattered. For God knows how long she'd spent a while away from the sunlight and in the cranky, small space the guards called a "prison." Though, compared to what she had seen, it seemed more like a big invitation for escape. Or for the intelligent to burn down. Sure, the cave walls would stand, but the iron doors buckled to the walls cried for an explosion. An explosion to free them from their crazy seal.

For a moment, Sage wondered if it were possible for her to do it. Find some sort of explosion (because, as she had witnessed, the guards often carried gizmos and gadgets back and forth) and rip the door off the wall. In fact, the idea made the grin spread even wider. Entertaining? Probably. She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen something entertaining. Something destructive, that is.

But that moment faded, and she remembered something important. The reason she'd spent weeks in this cramped, musty place. The reason she was here in the first place.

One name. That's all it took.

Viggo.

Bloodthirsty. Maybe. Sage wasn't sure. She'd seen him kill a dragon with nothing but a rock, and seen more tortured Terrible Terrors than she'd bother counting. It didn't matter how much she knew. All that mattered was one thing. One person that Viggo had repeated in every sentence.

His name was Hiccup. Specifically, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third. It popped up often whenever Viggo dropped in for a visit. Her sole existence rested on that name. For as long as she could remember, her arms ached and her eyes were weary. She threw axes, and charged Gronckles. And, with one thought in mind. With only one mission. Penetrate.

Sage crossed rest an arm against the cold floor. Penetrate may be the wrong word. To summarize Viggo's plans into a sentence was impossible. Because they were never easy. But she was easy. Because she couldn't remember warm beds or good food, or even friends. No. She saw nothing but death and horror. She remembered nothing but blood…and war.

That was the only reason for her existence.

It bugged her at first. She could remember huddling in the corner of a dark prison at first; where the walls were so thick, and impenetrable that no light sneaked through the cracks…and faint memories of promise of a good meal, And the tears. Those were unforgettable. They stained her cheeks for days, and many moons would pass before relief.

And when the sun would rise after the fifth moon, the door would open and there he would be. He would stand tall in his brown tunic and neat, black hair, eyes unwavering, and say, "Lets begin."

Sage knew it normal for people to ball their fists or glare when a urge to punch someone arose. She'd seen it so many times. When desperate times came, and the instructor would watch Sage drop to the floor as a child, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to go farther, she'd hear a groan. She'd see the fists clench. And then, "Be patient. Don't worry. She'll come around."

And she did. Otherwise, she wouldn't tolerate this. But he was right. As usual. So he must always be right. Which meant, her mission was most important. Because he said so. His calculations would be correct too.

So she wouldn't be in this cell longer. Not that she needed sunlight. The darkness was soothing. But she'd listened to the loud, crazy growling from the various dragons. And the walls didn't hide the surface noise.

Her ears perked. She could hear someone running towards her. The sound of footsteps bounced off the walls. She caught sight of the owner, a young boy her age with brown, messy hair and a iron leg. Behind him was a older gentleman with a grimy look and a staff.

And as Viggo had predicted, he stopped in front of her door. In the darkness, she felt her grin broaden even more.

Sage, the girl with the green hair, was going to win this fight. And the ignorant boy would never see it coming.


	2. Chapter One: The Boy with the Plan

**Chapter One:** _The Boy with the Plan_

 **Episode:** _We Are Family Part 2 - Riders of Berk_

 **A/N:** The story will have a mixture of original chapters and scenes from the various parts of the franchise. Enjoy!

It was evident when the boy's eyes widened that he never expected to find another person in this Outcast prison. Despite passing her cell days earlier with Alvin, leader of a little rebel group that bothered calling this excuse for a land their home, he'd been so ignorant and busy mocking Alvin and his mindless right hand man that he hadn't noticed her sitting in the corner, watching them for the brief moment.

But now, she could see Hiccup up close. He wore a green shirt with a brown vest and pants. One leg was attached to some sort of metal contraption. His face was small and more round than she'd expected. In her mind, she'd pictured a tall, muscular Viking with a stern look and muscles so large, the sight would force goosebumps to pop up on her skin.

This person. This skinny, boney excuse for a man. No. A boy. This  _boy_  was ridiculous. He reminded her a small, thin, useless pole. With eyes. Big eyes.

"Need something?" She said coldly, staying planted on the spot. Not that he'd say anything intelligent. He'd probably mutter something stupid.

"Who are you?"

It took everything not to say something that would send him crying to his mother. Not that she'd waste her breath, "A prisoner. Like you. Destined to rot in this…" She smirked, "whatever this is."

"Cell?"

"Hiccup," said the old crabby man, "unless you want to get caught we need to leave."

Hiccup hesitated. Sage pretended to become mesmerized with tracing her finger lightly along the bumpy ground. Without warning, he grabbed something from his pocket and put it in the key lock. With one swift turn, the mechanism clicked and the door swung one.

The man's eyes widened, "What are you doing?"

"The right thing," Hiccuped looked at Sage, "come with us."

She pretended to think, "Funny thing about escape," Sage stood, rubbing the back of her hand on her leather outfit, "one usually has a place to go. I don't. So…useless."

"Then come to Berk," Hiccup said, eyes darting down the tunnel they had just come from.

The old man shrieked, "We need to go. Now!"

Hiccup nodded, "Are you coming…" He looked at Sage, "…or not?"

Sage thought for a moment before silently nodding and following the boy and the crazy old man deeper into the tunnel, "I'm Hiccup," He said. Information Sage had known for a while, but she didn't bother commenting.

"Pleasure," She said quickly, "And cranky silver hair?"

Hiccup frowned, "Not cranky. Mildew."

Sage's eyes widened. Never had she heard such a ridiculous name, "Okay."

They rounded a few bends in silence. Sage swore she heard a few hostile dragon calls and growls above the roof of the tunnel. Her eyes darted everywhere, desperately seeking out the source.

"What's your name?" Hiccup asked.

Sage, who had originally begged Viggo to het her use a false identity, reluctantly spoke, "Sage." And when Hiccup tried to press farther about her identity, she coiled her words up and threw them deep down. Eventually, he took the silence as she hoped and stopped talking.

They rounded another corner, and stopped in front of a small wooden door with iron hinges and a small knob. The noise was gone and all remained still, until Hiccup went for the doorknob. Mildew grabbed his hand, "What are you doing?" He asked, "We can't open that. What if there are guards on the other side?"

Hiccup glared, "I need to find Toothless. This is the only way out. If we want to escape, it's now or never," He pulled his hand out of Mildew's grasp and rested it on the doorknob. Sage watched as he turned, and slowly pulled it open. The sky was dark with twinkling lights, and the only source of brightness were torches on other side of the door. But guards were absent.

"Lets go," Hiccup said quietly, darting into the night with Mildew on his tail.

It had been a while since Sage had seen the night sky, and she still didn't know why so many people made big deal about it. It looked like nothing more than a large black blanket with little, twinkling night-lights. Not that either were fascinating anyway. She shut the door quietly behind her, hoping she wouldn't alert anyone, and ran after Hiccup and Mildew who were now situated behind some boulders, "Okay, what's the quickest way to go to Toothless?"

 _Toothless?_  Sage glared.

"Through that lava field." Mildew pointed his staff at a large field swarming with dragons of all shapes, colours and sizes. Sage's eyes widened. She could see everything. Gronckles, Nadders, Monstrous Nightmares…more than she'd ever thought in her life. If they'd wanted, they could pounce on them and eat everyone off one by one.

"Let's go!" Hiccup exclaims, starting down the hill.

Mildew stops Hiccup with his staff, "Aah! Wait! You do realize those are wild dragons down there?"

"So?"

"Wild…" Sage mutters to herself, following Hiccup as he ascends down towards the field of over-rated reptiles. If she weren't there on behalf of Viggo, she would've run away to God knows where and hidden from this crazy lunatic plan. Though, at this point she had no idea what it was.

Hiccup ducks behind more boulders, but Sage wasn't sure this was enough to hide them from the dragons. Like humans, they had a thing on their faces called a nose. And it would be only a matter of time before they heaved them into the air and sniffed out the small group.

From the corner of her eye, she catches a Deadly Nadder grabbing a bone. Obviously pleased with itself, it takes little notice of a Monstrous Nightmare growling at it. The dragon, without thinking twice, drops the bone and the two begin to have a showdown. Sage swallows.

"Well, come on then," Hiccup finally says eagerly, "let's go."

"Uh," Mildew says, "let's not."

"Oh, c'mon Mildew," Hiccup says.

"I wouldn't have agreed," Sage spoke up, glaring at Hiccup, "if I'd known you were going to kill me by walking us into a pitt of wild dragons."

"It'll be all right," Hiccup assured, "Just stay behind me."

"Perfect," Mildew muttered, "A 90-pound boy as my human shield. I won't go—Ah! Perfect!" Mildew had forgotten to look where he was walking, and plummeted off of a rock, landing face first on the ground.

All around them, the growls suddenly come to a halt. There's nothing but silence. Sage wasn't sure if this was good or bad, but when she looked up and see several dozen pairs of dragon eyes staring at them, she didn't think it was a good thing. Chills ran down her back as the dragons lifted their wings high into the air and slowly, started stalking them as if they were prey. In between the growling and Mildew's groans and whimpers, Sage was sure she'd never hear anything this annoying ever again.

Suddenly, a purple Deadly Nadder rushes them, lifting its wings higher than the others and growling ferociously. Sage felt courage surge through her, but cowered behind Hiccup anyway. Mildew pushes himself off the ground and charges the dragon. Sage's eyes widened when Hiccup grabs his staff and tosses it, "No Mildew! The last thing you want to do this threaten him."

"Me!?" Mildew says, "threaten him!?"

"W-we have to show him he can trust us!" Hiccup approaches the dragon slowly, ignoring its screeches. And just when Sage is sure the dragon is going to attack, it lowers its wings, "We're not gonna hurt you. That's it fella."

"Very impressive," Mildew congratulates.

Sage rolls her eyes, folding her arms over her chest, and glares. Pathetic. That's what she thought of this charade. If anything, she found his talent with dragons illogical and insane. There was no reason to…reason with dragons. They were animals. She smirks when the dragon jumps towards Mildew as he grabs his staff. Mildew whimpers.

"Really…" Hiccup says as the dragon nudges his shoulder, "he's just getting to know you. They can sense fear, so stay relaxed."

"This is relaxed," Mildew strains, trying to hide a pained expression on his face. Despite this, the Deadly Nadder growls calm and rubs its head against Mildew's shoulders.

"See?" Hiccup says when the dragon licks Mildew, "he wants to be friends. Isn't that nice?"

"Got plenty of friends…" He mutters.

Hiccup looks at Sage, "Your turn."

"Me?" Sage points to herself, "no."

"C'mon, he won't bite," Hiccup insists, "dragon training begins and ends with trust."

"Training?" Sage exclaims, "I did not sign up for…dragon training. Whatever that is."

"Well, do we really have a choice?" Hiccup said.

Sage saw the need. Viggo had kept her around because dragons had some…crazy liking to her. And she didn't argue. Her village had been swarming with dragons, and while she struggled like everyone else, she'd passed initiation without too much trouble. She glared, "I guess not. What do I do?"

"Win his trust," Hiccup stretches his hand, "give me your hand."

"Why?"

"Just trust me," But she didn't. Sage hesitated, keeping her arms folded until she reluctantly let him take her hand. Hiccup started to approach the great dragon as it focused most of its attention on Mildew. Sage rolled her eyes. This was silly. A waste of time. Or, she thought he had to know that. Because deep down, she had a hard time keeping the lid on her excitement. She wanted to jump and do it herself.

But she couldn't.

It took several minutes before the Nadder noticed Hiccup. He took one look at Sage and roared, lifting his wings again, "No, no," Hiccup soothed, sticking out his other hand, "It's okay. She's a friend." The dragon didn't move from it's pose. Moments later, he lowered his wings reluctantly and slowly, allowing Hiccup to touch the base of his nose, "Good boy. Now…" He pulled Sage, "your turn." Sage knew it was useless to argue, so instead, she locked eyes with the Nadder and stared, lifting her hand as Hiccup had done and purposely stumbling a few times, "You can do it," She heard Hiccup mutter.

Of course she could. The dragon was already calm. It looked at her, tilting it's head, and then when Sage "thought" it would attack, it lowered its head and her hand rested against its nose.

"Good job!" Hiccup smiled, "we're gonna need a way to get past those guards at the dragon pitt, and I think we just found it."

"Uh, well—" The Nadder licks Mildew's cheek.

"Guards?" Sage glared, "I thought this was an escape plan."

"It is," He said, gesturing for Mildew to pet the dragon as Sage had, "but they have Toothless and-"

"Toothless?" She said, faking a surprised tone, "whose that?"

"My dragon. He's a Night Fury."

"Night…Fury?" Sage tilted her head.

"Yes," He said, "I need to get him."

She wanted to argue. To push him and get out of this escape plan. But Viggo had been specific, "Above all," He had said, "Gain his trust. We don't want him suspecting anything. And he won't. Play your part and all will go well." It wasn't a comfort. She'd been doing so well. Acting like a complete moron. Kind of.

But this was different. She had to play her part…and gain his trust. Against a feeling in her gut she nodded, "Fine. But hurry. If we get caught, it's the end."

She was desperate to impress Viggo. She'd do anything…even if that meant killing every dragon in this world.


	3. Chapter Two: The Girl with No Doubts

**Chapter Two:** _The Girl with No Doubts_

**Episode:**   _We Are Family Part 2 - Riders of Berk_

Sage was sure she'd made a mistake.

The moment the Nadder lifted it's wings and jumped to fly, arms squeezed her waist, making it hard to breath. The dragon swayed with the weight of three people, but Sage would be lying if she'd said she wasn't impressed at its ability to fly with the heavy load on its back.

But breathing was more important, "Let's go!" She said, trying to pry Mildew's arms from her waist. The old man whimpered and his grasp tightened, "What's happening?"

"There's lots of dragon," Hiccup says, "Why don't you grab some of that?"

"Huh?" Mildew's eyes snap open, "Oh fine. I'm fine!"

Sage shudders at the rough, scaly texture of Mildew's hand, "I'm not. Off!" She shoos his hands, rolling her eyes when he grabs her shoulders. She didn't need this.

Suddenly, Hiccup points to a large cluster of holes, "That's where they have Toothless."

"Great. And do you have a plan?" Sage says.

Hiccup nods, clutching the saddle, "Find Toothless and rescue him."

"Okay," Sage sighs, "So no plan."

Upon entering a dragon, Sage felt goose bumps pop up on her skin. The dampness was back. It was dark and dreary, but she wasn't surprised. Whispering Deaths had some sort of eerie like for such places as she'd witnessed a few times over the years.

The tunnels open up into a large chamber with several cages scattered along the walls. Each contains a different dragon.

A red dragon with vine like things attached to either side of its head; Changewing.

Rows and rows of teeth revolving in different directions.; Whispering Death.

Finally, a dragon with a long neck and gigantic chin; Scauldron

Every dragon in this room could tear anyone into pieces if they wanted. She shivered at the image of a Scauldron boiling Viking flesh. But Hiccup looked around the room as the Nadder landed. He seemed to care less.

The moment the dragon landed, Hiccup pounced off swiftly and darted to a fourth cage. Sage followed…but slowly. She kept her eyes fixed on the cages, and forced herself to bite her lip as if she was afraid. But she wasn't. Why should she be? These dragons were caged. However wrong it was, those bars kept her safe and the dragon at bay.

"Toothless is gone," Sage caught Hiccup mutter.

Mildew scoffs, "Ah! Alvin must have moved him!" Somehow, the old bat managed to get himself off the dragon and on to solid ground. She silently giggled at the thought of Mildew face planting.

But her thoughts were cut short.

Suddenly, something clicked in front of her, and the door swung open. Her eyes widened. The dragon was free. F-r-e-e. No barriers. Nothing stopping it from killing anything that moved in this arena. And when Sage turned to make a comment, she noted other cages were the same. Great. Almost all the dragons were free. She swallowed, trying to desperately not to lose it. There was nothing less terrifying than lose wild dragons.

On the cliffs above the cages stood a man with black hair and a great black beard. One Sage had seen a few times in the last few weeks. A face she'd never forget, "Let's see what you can do with some real wild dragons." His hand pulls a wooden lever…and the door to the third cage swings open. The Whispering Death rushes out immediately.

This wasn't good. Sage remembered watching a man within the Dragon Hunters arena as he was slowly cornered by a herd of wild Changewings. When the boiling acid hit his skin, it sizzled and his skin started disappearing. She averted her eyes after, but saw some blood fall down to the rock floor. This was no different.

Mildew whimpered.

"Whatever happens in the next minute," Hiccup shuffles slowly backs to the purple Nadder, "do exactly what I tell you."

Sage glared at the scrawny boy, but obliged and slowly made her way towards him. She didn't stop moving until she was right behind Hiccup.

"Why?" Mildew asked. But Hiccup didn't have time to answer.

For a moment all is still, and then Hiccup is running away from the dragons. Sage doesn't bother to question his judgment, and for once, she agrees. Instead of talking, she follows on his heels. Something starts to sizzle, and when she looks back to where she'd been, she see's a pool of green acid. If she hadn't moved, she would've been toast.

Mildew's eyes widen when more acid goes right for him. He whimpers, and moves, and the acid lands on the cage. Sage hears the sizzle, "Uh, I'm all ears."

The Deadly Nadder had backed itself into a wall. A smart move…or not. With the wall at its back, Sage couldn't see a way out. Hiccup climbs on the dragon anyway, and Sage doesn't hesitate to follow…fighting an urge to attack the creatures that were pursuing them as prey. She took a deep breath as Mildew climbed on behind her, whimpering, and the dragons grew closer.

By now, Sage could see the dragon's eyes. They were red with fury, irritation and confusion. Locked away like common criminals and left with enough to barely live. For a moment, she felt deep remorse. She had a sudden urge…she wanted to help them. But as the Scauldron and Whispering lunged for them, the feeling drifted away, and something below her moved. The Deadly Nadder soared through the air, just above the three dragons who stared at them from the ground, and landed on the other side of the indoor arena..

In a fit of rage, the Whispering Death let out an ear-piercing roar and plunged into the earth, flinging dirt and rock in every direction, "At least that one's gone." Mildew said.

"Not quite," Hiccup said, "Changewings shoot acid, Scauldron's fire boiling water. And Whispering Deaths hunt from underground!"

The Changewing picks up speed, but so does the Deadly Nadder. It darts for another corner of the arena. Mildew screams, "Ah! Have you lost your mind!?"

Suddenly, all three dragons appear., eyes red with fury, they lung at the Deadly Nadder who once again, soars up into the air. Sage let out a small whoop as the all three dragons bump heads, and crumble to the ground. The feeling of victory surges through Sage, and the Nadder sweeps back into the tunnel. There were no echoes or signs of any tailing. Sage sighed with relief. But it wasn't over. Toothless was still missing. And Sage knew they wouldn't be leaving the island without him.

And then they're out. A piercing light shines so bright, Sage winces. It's blinding at first, but things start to form and take shape until she can see the dead tree's scattered through the island, and the rocky ground, "You know your dragons," Mildew said, "I'll give you that."

Sage wanted to say that it wasn't over…because Hiccup hadn't found Toothless. They were stuck circling the entire circumference of the island until he'd achieved his goal. But just as she was opening her mouth, a distant, unfamiliar voice cried, "Hiccup!" Her eyes darted to the sky, and low and behold, they widen in shock. Flying towards them were several dragons, but the voice had come from a bulky, red-bearded man sitting on a Thunderdrum. Hiccup lands the dragon, and as the rest approach, Sage pretends to swallow. As if nerves were getting the better of her.

"Oh," The man said the moment the blue Thunderdrum lands, "Thank Thor your…" His eyes fix upon Sage, who takes a deep breath and plays with her hands, "whose she?" His feet hit the ground.

"Another prisoner," Hiccup said, "We escaped together."

"Really?" He crosses his arms over his chest and stares at Sage for a few more moments, "your name?"

Sage bites her lip, "Sage."

"Sage, eh?" The girl nods. There was something about this man towering over her that made her want to jump out of her skin and crawl under a boulder. As the other riders land, he smiles, "Nice name. Name's Stoick the Vast. Chief of Berk. And as I was saying, thank Thor you're all right."

Hiccup grimaces, "I am, but Toothless is in trouble."

"And Mildew is on the back of your dragon," A skinny, blonde-haired Viking whispers loudly.

"I know, Tuffnut!" Hiccup says.

The viking, Tuffnut, paused for a moment, "Weird." But not as weird as the sight before Sage. Or so she thought.

Several dragons with different Vikings stood before her. She recognized the blue and white Deadly Nadder immediately…because of the beautiful Viking that sat in its saddle. The girl in question wore a strange bandana around her head that kept her blonde hair in place. Beside them was a Gronckle. Or Sage thought it was. She knew from the various warts on its skin and the stubby appearance. But the dragon wasn't as big as the boy with the brown tunic sitting on it. Sage thought for a more. Had she seen anyone that big before? When memory failed, her eyes darted to another Viking. He looked her age. He was bulky like Stoick, but his hair was black, and he was giving her an odd look. Like he was gazing upon a grand table full of his favorite food. She shuddered. The dragon he sat on was Red with big black horns.

The last Viking of the group ran to Mildew, who had jumped off the their Nadder, and grabbed his shoulders, "I should run you through now!"

"No, Gobber!" Hiccup exclaimed, putting both hands on his arm and pulling, "Gobber, no. He helped me—er—us escape. Dad," Sage's eyes widened.  _Dad? This scrawny toothpick was the son of that bulky red-head?_  "I owe Mildew my life."

A few seconds of silence roll by, "Getting weirder," Tuffnut says.

"I'll explain later. Right now, I have to get to Toothless."

"Or," said the bandana girl, "bring him to you."

It was as if it were some sort of secret code. Because, as if he were some crazy wolf, Hiccup cupped one hand over his mouth, and let out a howl so loud, Sage was sure it would bring dragons islands away stalking them from every direction. But when silence and stillness was all Hiccup got, her cupped his hand over his mouth and repeated the process.

Seconds later, Hiccup points on a ledge a little ways away, "There he is!"

A magnificent black creature with great black wings and half a red fin on its tail, stood on the other side. Without hesitating, Hiccup dashes for the Nadder. Sage rolled her eyes as the the dragon lifted Hiccup into the air and towards the Night Fury. It was beautiful. And the relationship seemed strong, but she believed there was a difference between training the dragon and bonding so much with it. She'd never seen a bond like this. But she didn't think it was worth anyone's time.

When he landed, and made a quick dash for the dragon, she sighed. And reluctantly watch the dragon ploy into the toothpick, "Are you okay bud?" He said as the Night Fury rubs its face against his.

The biggest smile spread across the dragon's face, "Oh, I am so sorry, Toothless," Hiccup pleads, quick pushing himself off the ground, "this was all my fault." And it didn't surprise Sage.

While Hiccup was useful getting them out of the cage, and into the open air, she was annoyed that he was willing to risk her neck, and old man, to find his dragon. The sight of the Night Fury made her giddy inside, and she continuously pictured the magnificent beast flying alongside other dragons (because—as she knew—a caged dragon was wondrous. A trained dragon was amazing. But a there was nothing more perfect than watching a dragon in its natural habitat…before they let loose the nets) made a grin spread across her face.

"Hey there!" Alvin said, snapping Sage out of her thoughts, "you weren't going to leave before we finished our business, were you?"

Sage felt a surge of annoyance…and fascination flow through her. While this man was no match for Viggo, he was interesting and very persistent. He smiled, "That's what I'd expect from Stoick's little runt."

"Hiccup!" Stoick exclaims as Hiccup mounts Toothless, "No! We got what we came for." But it was too late. Toothless had launched himself at Alvin and they were effortlessly flying towards the man.

"Do it! I'm right here!" Alvin laughs, "Now!"

And chaos emerges. Several bola's fling into the air, flying like a boomerang and catching Hiccup and his dragon off guard. They fall, pinned between the nets and the ground. Sage crosses her arms over her chest and stares, the grin on her face spreading. She recalled Viggo's rants about stories they'd often heard about the boy and his…training skills. And now, she was going to witness it for herself. To assess the threat.

Suddenly, big shadows loom over Sage and disappear. The dragons fly overhead. All of them. Without riders. She turns to see the riders watching with astonished looks on their faces. Despite the tales she'd heard, something told her this would craft a new one people everywhere would be talking about for months to come. Sage watches as the Deadly Nadder and Monstrous Nightmare fire a stream of fire at some men in iron armour. Her eyes dart towards the Zippleback as one head releases gas encircling the duo still strapped to the ground by the bola. When the spark ignites, a line of thick fire forces the soldiers away from Hiccup and Toothless.

The Monstrous Nightmare hovers above the smoke. Sage waits for a moment. Her eyes widen when the dragon soars above the grey smoke, carrying the duo still wrapped in bola, and not stopping until they're safe with them. The riders dash towards Hiccup and his dragon, leaving Sage to smirk and cross her arms over her chest, "What happened?" Hiccup stands up once he's cut free.

"The dragons saved you on their own!" Fishlegs exclaims.

"Wow," Hiccup's eyes widen, "That's amazing."

"Looks like they took their training to a whole new level," Bandana girl affirms.

"We can catch up later," Stoick says, "right now, we need to get out of here."

Sage wanted to fight the men. She had an itch to run at them and punch them as hard as she could, but she stopped herself. It would take longer for them to trust her. So she jumped on the Nadder's back, Gobber in front and Mildew behind. And by the time the soldiers reached them, the Thunderdrum let out a giant, sonic boom and the dragons took off.

"Mildew!" Hiccup exclaims, Sage feels the wind at her back and frowns, then turns to see Mildew, grabbing the end of the Nadder's tail…and hanging.

"Aw, for the love of Thor," Gobber says, "Don't you let go old man!"

Mildew's eyes water, "Tell the boy i'm sorry," Sage rolls her eyes. A class act if she'd ever seen it. She wouldn't catch it…if she weren't better at it. The old man closes his eyes, then releases his grip and screams as he tumbles towards the ground.

"Mildew!" Toothless turns and charges for the man, who is lying on the ground.

He shakes his head, "Go, Hiccup," Soldiers surround the old man, "You have to leave me!"

Sage wanted to leave. She didn't care about the stupid old man. He was smelly, and sweaty anyway. And his breath smelt of rotten eggs mixed with sour yak milk.

Toothless effortlessly dodges arrows shooting for him, "He's right son," Stoick says, "we can't help him."

Hiccup hesitated. She notes a similar look in his eyes. One he had as he debated on releasing her from the cell. A mistake, he'd learn in the future, he'd regret. Thought she wasn't sure how easy it would be to figure everything out. They were years away from any concern. In fact, she was sure Hiccup didn't know Dragon Hunters existed yet. She wanted to keep that secret safe.

And as they started away from the island, a grin spread across her face once again. There was no doubt in her mind that Hiccup had made a mistake.


	4. Chapter Three: The Boy Who Loves Dragons

**Chapter Three:**   _The Boy who Loves Dragons_

 **Episode:**   _We Are Family Part 2 - Riders of Berk_

Berk was a small village nestled on an island in the middle of the ocean. There were wood homes and towering buildings with vikings in the bustling plaza who worked, and talked. Never had Sage seen such a sight. The smallest home was high above everything else on a cliff of the highest point several feet in the air. And from the Deadly Nadder's saddle, her eyes widened in genuine delight. This place put a lot of other places to shame.

Her eyes trailed to the water where boats nestled beside docks and barrels and barrels of fish sat. Vikings heaved them over to land where more Vikings would accept them, strap them to a variety of different coloured dragons. Sage watched as the dragons clung on to the barrels and heaved them into the sky, and over to a great building right beside the tallest which was nestled in the rock. Indeed, it was a sight.

Sage had only ever seen grey arena's and disturbing homes out in the open where soldiers fought and no one owned more than the clothes on their backs and the weapons they stored. Or dead, black trees amongst dark grey rocky grounds. Here was little bumpy ground. In fact, everything was smooth.

And the dragons. Sage didn't fail to notice the dragons flying and carrying, or playing. Many a-viking passed items to their dragons in large bulk, and they'd fly away, heading for various locations around the island. Some didn't fly with loads. Some played. Small babies ran around the ground, growling and hissing at each other, and running around the village. Others helped push carts, and place banners.

"She looks better at night," Gobber said from the front of the dragon, "not too shabby, eh?"

Sage didn't know what to say. Such a sight she'd never seen. Her old village was a constant mess with smoke and fire's plaguing them from every direction. But it wouldn't hurt to admit it, "Nope,"

The dragons and their riders swoop through village. Vikings cheered, their fists reaching for the sky. It was as if Hiccup and the others had gone on some perilous journey no one thought they'd return from. Which, in a way made sense…Alvin's prison hadn't been a five star joint. The soldiers, and the lack of food alone made it nearly impossible to enjoy being cooped up in such a place. Not like this one. It had been a while since Sage had seen an apple, and her mouth watered when she caught sight of a Viking pushing a wheelbarrow full of them.

And then, she caught something. The viking pushing the wheelbarrow stopped, turning in confusion…and just as his eyes left the apples, three floated into the air and then away…and disappeared into thin air. She frowned, and before she could see anything else, they disappeared from view.

Should she say anything? Maybe she'd tell Hiccup. She knew little about anyone else, and if his trust was priority, it made the most sense to her. But the issue wasn't telling him, but remembering…so when the riders broke out of the group, and Stoick, Hiccup and Gobber landed their dragons in front of a house overlooking the rest of the village, Sage bit her lip, "Well now, lass," Stoick said as he dismounted his Thunderdrum, "glad to see you appreciate Berk."

Sage didn't respond to his statement right away. And when she did, all Sage could muster was a simple nod. She dismounted the dragon quickly, and gazed over the village, pretending to focus on the island and its inhabitants. Silence prevailed for a moment, until someone stood beside her, "So…what do you think?"

"Do I need an opinion?" Sage muttered loud enough for Hiccup to hear, crossing her arms over her chest, and pretending to glare.

"Well, yes," Hiccup said, "if you're going to stay."

"Staying?" Sage recalled Hiccup mentioning it earlier, but with the dragon attacks and all the escaping, it had completely slipped her mind, "seriously?"

"Yeah," Hiccup said, "It's the perfect place to live. Not for the faint of heart…" He smiled, Sage thought. She'd never heard of anything so ridiculous. And while training dragons and understanding them was amazing, she'd never seen an island like this. When she didn't speak, Hiccup did, "I'll tell you what. Stay a couple of days. Come to our Dragon Parade, and I'll show you around Berk. Then, you can decide."

It seemed reasonable enough. Sage took one final look over the village, and met Hiccup's eye, then nodded, "Sounds fair."

"Good," Hiccup smiles, "give me a moment. After I talk to my father, we can go to the Parade together. You hungry?"

Sage hadn't thought about food. She'd grown accustomed to working and ignoring the agonizing pain in her stomach. It always seemed there was something much more important than food. She shook her head, "No."

Hiccup nodded, "Let me know if you change your mind" And he disappeared into his house with Toothless on his tail.

When the door shut, Sage rolled her eyes and thought about setting off for the plaza herself. It seemed logical and the better approach because it wouldn't take as long. But then she remembered trust, and relationship. They went hand in hand. The more time she spent with Hiccup, the stronger their relationship would become and the more he'd trust her. Then she could earn everyone else's trust and whatever Viggo planned or wanted, would be his. And hers. She fought the urge and sat down.

Hiccup wasn't gone long. Sage took it upon herself to count Terrible Terrors while she waited. When she reached eleven, the door opened and Hiccup and Toothless emerged. Sage shot him a short look over her shoulder, and noted the way his face fell. As if someone had taken his beloved dragon again.

"So," Hiccup said, "dragon parade?"

Sage stole a glance at Toothless. The dragon stared back at her, growling affectionately, and showing no signs of tension. A Dragon Parade sounded…Sage didn't know what to think. So she nodded silently and went to head to the plaza.

"Uh, Sage…" She hadn't reached the bottom of the hill yet. Hiccup was mounted on Toothless's saddle, and when she met his eyes, he gestured to a spot beside her, "it's fun, and quicker…"

She glared, and firmly shook her head, "No," Sage didn't wait for a response. She started back down the hill, forcing herself to stomp. When the hill merged with a small path, Toothless flew over her and landed, "Move," She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You gotta give it a chance," Hiccup said quickly, "one ride isn't enough. It'll open your eyes to the wondrous things dragons can do."

Sage shook her head, "I'm not interested in riding dragons. I don't even like…" She trailed off, pretending to think for a moment, "…i don't even like dragons."

"Don't like dragons?" His eyes widen, "d-didn't you just ride on?"

Like she had a choice. Sage rolled her eyes, "Desperation."

"Desperation?" Hiccup exclaimed, "how's that desperation?"

"How is it not? Some strange boy opens your prison to help you "escape." Drags you around half the island. Forces you to ride a dragon. Desperation."

Hiccup rolls his eyes, "…just give it a chance. You may learn to love it."

"Nope," Sage was getting irritated. Her facade was working. She could sense Hiccup's own desperation to change her mind in his eyes. Quickly, she maneuvered around Hiccup, who was staring at her.

Hiccup sighed, jumping off of Toothless and training behind, "You know, my father use to hate dragons. He's killed more than anyone else in this village.."

"And this changes…" Sage's eyes stay forward, "…what?"

"Nothing," He dashed past Sage, and begins walking backwards, "the point is-" He trips over a piece of cobblestone sticking out of the plaza's ground. Sage pretends to ignore him, continuing to walk into the heart of village. And like she estimated, seconds later, Hiccup's back, "the point is dragons aren't as terrifying as we…my father thought. He gave them a chance. I'm sure if you did, I could change your mind," Sage stopped, pretending to think, "…please."

It was as if his life depended on it. She sighed, "No." And she pushed past the scrawny boy.


	5. Chapter Four: The Witness

**Chapter Four:**   _The Witness_  
 **Episode:**   _Tail end of We Are Family Part 2 - Riders of Berk_

Hiccup guided Sage…on foot to some sort of arena located on the outskirts of the village. It was decorated with banners, flowers, and wooden bleachers that Vikings were filing into. She hadn't gotten too close before noticing a large sign above the entrance into the arena reading, "Happy Bork Week!" But her eyes didn't linger long, for if Hiccup caught her staring, he may see it as a window to start an explanation. While Sage was fascinated, her façade wasn't, so her glare hardened and she allowed Hiccup to guide her to the wooden bleachers in silence.

Toothless, on the other hand, was looking at the Vikings as they passed, and allowed some to give him a pat or two. Children ran up to him once they reached the arena, and he gladly chased them as they laughed and threw their hands in the air. His smile broadened when the children lifted their hands full of fish, and he gladly swallowed all of them before the children ran off, jumping and talking of dragons. Sage wondered if everyone here had always been this way. It was like dragons had always been a part of their lives, or they'd done something so miraculous to force everyone into some sort of blissful fantasy.

But it didn't matter what she thought. Sage knew that. So when Hiccup told her to wait on the bleachers while he rallied up his friends who were assisting in this…dragon parade, a grin stretched across her face and she watched the scrawny boy mount his dragon, and take off. And almost as soon as he'd appeared earlier that day, he was gone. Not that she cared one bit.

There was little to think of as the time passed and the bleachers filled until not one spot was empty. Sage had spent most of the time planning strategy. It had always been obvious that her brains didn't match up to that of Viggo, who'd singlehandedly found a way to get her into Berk without suspicion. Or come up with this façade and strategically forced her to fake a scowl until her eyes were on fire and face ached. But it worked.

At last, Stoick the Vast stood in the arena (which, as Sage had been analyzing, was roofless) arms crossed over his chest. Sage pretended to be occupied with the height of the tallest cliff, and didn't give anyone any attention until she heard an explosion. Her eyes darted down to the Chief, who muttered something before addressing the crowd, "Happy Bork Week!" The crowd erupted in cheers. Vikings pumped their fists into the air and Stoick waited until the cheers had died down before continuing, "This week, we will take the time to remember and celebrate the man who brought us The Book of Dragon's, and today's Dragon Air Parade will be the first of many activities planned this week."

Sage rolled her eyes, but she tuned in as she wanted to listen to Stoick's speech. This "Book of Dragons" sounded like a tool she could use, "As always," Stoick continued, "we'll be having our nightly feast at sundown at the Great Hall where Gobber will be performing his one man-spectacular. And after hours, my son has organized a night dragon flight that will take you all around the island. For more information, talk to Hiccup after the parade is over," Stoick's eyes gaze out of the arena, and as if he was communicating with someone he smiles, "And let the Dragon Air Parade begin!"

The crowd erupted again into cheers and immediately, dragons started flying in the air with the bandana girl and Hiccup at the front. Sage felt deflated. Stoick hadn't expanded on this "Book of Dragons" and it sounded like something of importance. But as dragons started flying in line of sight and the village population clapped and smiled as if nothing else matter, Sage decided to push it out of her mind for now, and watch the show. Her façade believed it to be the most pathetic thing she'd ever seen, but she was intrigued slightly. After several riders (those she had seen earlier) flew around once, the different species they rode did their own little routine. First, were the Nadders, who fly quickly and in tight formation. Several of the Nadders did simultaneous flips, and shot molten fire towards the ocean at the same time. Sage leant her chin into her hands and yawned…while simultaneously feeling a surge of excitement and interest. Whoever did that had skill, and there was no denial that it was the bandanna girl who flew with a smug smile on her face. Her dragon flew up into the sky, flipping and diving back down. As they headed right for the crowd, her dragon rolled, picking up speed…until they levelled out quickly and sent several shots towards the ocean where target buoys swayed with the waves.

Sage felt a small, genuine smile threaten to expose itself on her lips. It took every bit of fight to force it back into gut and stay there. She couldn't give herself away, but it was a little hard with such an interesting and spectacular sight in front of her.

But while everyone was into this little parade, Sage's eyes wandered for a moment and she caught a familiar sight. One of the Vikings sitting a few seats away from her was helmetless…because the said helmet was floating a few inches above his head as if someone had tied an invisible rope to it and was loosely pulling. Her mind flashed back to the apple incident she'd witnessed earlier. The way it floated above the air was similar…if not the same. Then, as if on cue, the helmet suddenly vanished. Sage's head shot up. The Viking hadn't noticed the sudden draft on their head. Her eyes darted everywhere, but the helmet didn't pop back into view. When she turned back, she a chicken leg fly out of a child's hand and suddenly vanish.

This continued for a few minutes with several items from the crowd floating into the air and suddenly vanishing. For a moment, all remained quiet, until Sage caught wind of a bola dragging itself across the ground…or being dragged. She looked back at the crowd, who were not fascinated by Toothless's triple flip, and didn't notice the noise the boala made. For a moment, Sage thought. She could stay and not get into whatever this was…but her curiosity was killing her, and something within said following was a good idea. So, pretending to be in a huff, she got up quietly, snuck off of the bleachers and slowly followed the bola.

Whoever it was never noticed, because despite rounding the corner and following at a range, the bola continued to slide across the ground and towards the centre of the village. But Sage continued to follow. Even when it left the plaza; or tumbled out of town in the forest Sage had never set eyes on before. For a moment, she stopped, hearing the fait cries and applauds of the Vikings in the arena. But she tightened her hand into a fist and pushed forward, leaving the clear skies and into the refuge of the forest.

The thick trees offered shade from the sunny day. Sage felt a sudden drop in temperature, but not enough to make her wish for a thick coat or boots. The forest was full of growls and cries, and swishing branches that danced with the breeze. But the bola still sang louder than anything else that met her ears; and she tried to follow as the brush grew thicker and thicker. It led her deeper and deeper into the woods. The air grew dark with the growing thickness of the trees, and the little sun seeping to touch the ground. She could've sworn she heard angry dragon calls as a disturbing noise ripped through the eerie silence.

But then the brush was gone, and the bola made its way to a small cave where the mouth was narrow and tall. She took a look, eyes covering the mountain steep as far and high as she could see…or until the treetops covered the rest from view. The bola disappeared into the cave, and Sage was quick to follow.

Within the mountain cave was nothing but darkness with a hint of light coming from a single torch farther down the tunnel. Near it was a small door with odd-looking symbols. Some Sage had never laid eyes on before. They were bunched together in the middle of the door and made up almost the entire centre. There was a picture of a dragon eye, a tail, several spines…and more. But each had a shape in the corner, as if they were code.

Just as Sage gathered the courage to get closer the bola stopped moving, and she ducked behind a tall rock that hid her. She peered around it, and took notice of an outstretched arm hovering over the shapes. Quicker than she could keep track, it pushed certain symbols in a row, and the door swung open. Sage's eyes widened. A secret door! No wonder this person was so secretive. When the arm disappeared and the bola dived into the darkness in the tunnel beyond the door, Sage jumped out from her hiding spot and started towards the ancient like tunnel.

She took a few glances of it up close, touching the symbols lightly. Then, the door started to close. Sage cursed. She wanted to study the markings and find out where they came from. However, with little time to figure anything out, she took to quickly memorizing the first two symbols and slipped into the tunnel before it closed. Big mistake.

It was pitch black. Sage couldn't see two feet in front of her, but the rattling sound continued. Suddenly, she heard a voice whisper, "What is that? There's a ghost in here!" Sage stayed near the wall and started down the pitch black tunnel, "Torch! Torch! Where is the torch?" The high-pitched, raspy voice sang.

And then it happened. A light flickered farther up, and Sage's eyes widened. Several feet away in a large chamber full of odds and ends was a Changewnmg. She could see its head and the vine like things sticking out near its ears. To the dragon's left was a girl her age with bright orange pigtails, and a brown vest, "Stupid little torch, light…LIGHT!" She exclaimed. Her dragon growled, "Shut up over-grown reptile. I oughta skin you alive and feed ya to those Whispering Deaths." The girl brought the flame up to the torch. It took several tries, and grunts, but the torch eventually lit and a large flame burst forth, "Hm. Flame master. I like it."

The Changewing growled again, "Shut up," The girl exclaimed, "now where's this ghost?" She turned. Sage withdrew into the darkness. The girls eyes widened, but not in the direction of Sage, "Hey. What's that?" She glided over to the dragons tail and glared, "A BOLA!?" The girl swiftly turned and slammed her foot into the dragon. It let out a piercing growl, "Ya let a stupid bola follow us all the way here? Stupid dragon! Someone could've followed us! And then this secret place, with all the loot I stole, won't be a secret. THAT'S THE POINT OF A SECRET BASE!" The dragon glared, but the girl ignored her, "Lemme get this off ya." She bent down and started undoing the bola.

Sage took this moment to look around the large small. It wasn't as big as she thought initially. It was a small, semi-rounded room with two more passages on both sides, and a large counter right against the wall that stretched from one side of one passage to the other side of the second passage. On the counter was a mixture of odds and ends. There were small weapons, food, shields, random pieces of metal, clothing, etc. She'd never seen such gathering of stolen stuff before. Though she doubted this would be the biggest she'd ever see.

Suddenly, she heard a hiss and a growl. When her eyes darted to the dragon, they made eye contact and it's growl deepened. The girl brought the torch up so the darkness fled, and when that didn't work, she got up and inched closer until the light touched Sage's face. The girl glared, "Intruder! Ya wish ya'd never came in here! Amor, charge her!" The dragon shrunk down into the depths and disappeared.

Sage had forgotten for a moment, despite witnessing the bola incident that Changewings could blend in with their environment. She backed into the shadows and went to grab the doorknob, but her hand met air. Which meant to get out, she'd have to find some sort of secret button or…she didn't have time to finish that thought, because she felt hot breath on face her. The torch's light drew closer, and when it lit up the tunnel, Sage could see the dragon above her, staring as if this was it's favourite meal. She closed her eyes, waiting for the strike. The Changewing let out a ear-piercing roar, then slithered back to the girl who was trying to hold back a laugh, "I ain't gonna let Amor eat ya," She snickered, "she don't even like people. She likes others stuff."

Sage glared, "So what was this? A ploy? To scare me?"

"Maybe," The girl glared, "Ivari doesn't like strangers sneaking in her stuff. And if you tell anyone where this here cave is, I'll string you up by your feet and dangle you over the ocean until Scauldrons finish off ya bones. Got it?"

"No one bosses me around," Sage crossed her arms over her chest.

"You ain't got a choice," Ivari looked bloodthirsty as the grin spread across her face and her eyes danced, " 'Cuz Changewings ain't friendly. They got a nasty way of…making people go away."

"You just said they don't eat humans," Sage said, "Isn't that a contradiction?"

"No. Making 'em go away isn't the same as eating 'em," The girl approached Sage, "Now beat it!"

Sage wanted to argue the girl farther, but from the lack of light seeping through the cracks of the door and the way it glowed, she could tell night was falling. She still had to find her way back to the village. Desperate to get out before the Changewing decided it liked human flesh, she threw her façade back into the open and calmly started searching for a way to open the door. Sage heard a snicker behind her and then, "Your left. Touch the middle of the torch bearer."

Smoothly she reached up and touched the metal base, moving her hand along the various parts until the middle proved to be different. Most had a spot for a torch, but this one had no space because where the torch would sneak through was a small button. She gently pushed it, and with a loud bang, the door swung open.

But as Sage left, Ivari spoke, "And if ya come back, I cook your goose." Sage looked back at the girl, her bottom teeth sticking out a little. She glared, and started out of the cave and into the sunset stroking the forest. She prayed she'd never have to see the girl for as long as either lived.

And yet something told her they'd meet again.


	6. Chapter Five: The Rock Eater

**Chapter Five:** _The Rock Eater_

 **Episode:**   _Live and Let Fly - Defenders of Berk_

It had been several days since Sage arrived. Though the towering trees clouded by the night's darkness had made it nearly impossible for her to escape the maze, she'd found the safety of the village hours after leaving Ivari and her dragon in their…showroom. And once she'd left the forest, her façade vowed to never go near the runt again. But she couldn't forget the millions of questions plaguing her mind…what did those symbols on the door mean? Why were they there? Could it lead to something greater? What was Ivari hiding in her cavern? Surely there must be something in there that made her cranky enough to threaten Sage.

Stoick had found a suitable temporary home for Sage…until she'd "decided to stay" or leave. The house was near the edge of the town, several feet from a cliff that overlooked the ocean. When Stoick introduced Sage to the family, they'd give the usual confused shrugs and showed her the small, one bed guest room. The smell of must and spoiled yak milk tempted Sage to come out and say she'd stay in the village; anything to get out of staying in such a place. But she bit her lip and painfully accepted their hospitality.

The family's fifteen year old teenager, Dorfrifjall ( "Dorfri," She had said when Sage tried to pronounce her name, "Just Dorfri") created conversation whenever Sage was in the house…near their gathering of chairs in their family room right by the door. In the last two days, Sage hadn't seen the girl leave the spot except to eat or sleep. Her four Terrible Terrors (she'd heard the names many times, but failed to recall them) would lye at her feet, eyes closed and growling silently as dreams danced through their heads. Most of the time, Sage avoided the house.

Hiccup, on the other hand, who had taken Stoick's recent dragon flight ban very seriously, failed to bring up flying on dragons since they're last conversation (in fact—if Sage recalled corrected—they hadn't spoken much since)…and disappeared with the other riders every night. As soon as the moon rose above the horizon, she wouldn't see them until the next morning. And even then, she caught short glimpses. It was fine by her. Sage had failed thus far to come with the concept for a perfect scenario in which she "finally agreed to stay" or when she "agrees to let Hiccup "educate" her on the different species of dragon."

But it didn't strike her as odd when on the last night of the Bork Feast she sat alone at a table meant for six, and sipped her water with little notice of the others. She felt the judgmental glares of the other Vikings. It was like someone was throwing rocks at her face. But, as her façade always won, she easily kept a straight face. Her mind, however, refused to forget those symbols. They were odd…like something out of drawing. And they were ancient. They reminded her of old carvings found on walls that were drawn by cavemen.

She wanted to go back to the cavern and check them out. But Sage shook her head. She couldn't do anything that would arouse any suspicion. Besides, if Ivari caught her, she'd made it clear she'd be less lenient next time. Going back to the secret cave wasn't an option. She'd have to find another way to explore and study on those symbols. But how?

The only other option would be to find someone smart…smarter than her of course (though she doubted such a person existed) and find some way to lead them to the location. But if she did that, she'd surely be yelled at. And she wanted to avoid stepping on people's toes.

Sighing, Sage took one the last sip of her water, tucked the cup under her arm and dragged her weary feet out of the Great Hall. When she set foot outside, a cool breeze ruffled her hair and a sense if relief washed over her. There was nothing more refreshing. Her face screamed for a rest, but her façade refused to release the scowl from its place, and she started down the steps towards the village.

The empty grounds made Sage feel peaceful. Her insides settled and her mind felt relaxed. It had been a while since she felt like this. The village consistently bustled with people and dragons, and Viggo and his goons rarely gave Sage time to herself...unless, of course, it was in the small cell he'd called her "thinking room." Most of the time tears stained her cheeks. So, while she thought and reflected sometimes, it was a rare occasion to not leave without shedding tears.

She cursed within. By this point she was hoping to have gotten to know Hiccup and the others. If not briefly. That was her purpose in life and why she was on this island. There was nothing else. But coming up with a good excuse...or a manipulative way to get herself in with the group was difficult if not impossible.

The girl glared. She couldn't give up. She wouldn't give up. But how could she when there were no situations to manipulate? No reasons. No excuses.

A distant clattering caught Sage off guard. She didn't jump in fear, but her insides shook when she turned her head towards a small shop. On the ground was a pile of broken shields...and they shook and shuttered. Her eyes widened. For a moment her façade begged her to run, and she was about to...when a small, chubby form emerged and yawned, showing its small, dull teeth. Its tail was like a wooden club and its small yellow body was full of warts.

She sighed in a relief.

Baby Gronckle.

It tilted its head and left the shields, sniffing the ground and heading into another direction. Sage frowned. Her façade wanted her to continue home...in the opposite direction. Without thinking (and ignoring her annoying façade) she started after the baby with questions of curiosity. What was it doing there? How'd it get here? Where was its mother?

The Gronckle led her to a cliff, and lifted its head, before heading in a new direction. She followed with caution, uninterested in letting it know she was there. If this were a full-grown Gronckle, she knew it would be near impossible to follow without getting caught. However, this baby seemed immune to some of its senses, and kept waddling along, keeping its nose to the ground. Eventually, it led Sage to the forest she'd escaped a few days previous, and disappeared within the brush.

She thought for a moment. Sage had vowed never to wander into the forest again. It was dangerous, and ridiculously suspicious. If someone caught her wandering, she'd get in trouble. Or worse. She shook her head as her façade told her to turn around and head home. But the thought of the baby wandering the forest by itself sent shudders of terror down Sage's spine. It would never survive. But she was forcing everyone to believe she didn't like dragons. Every morning as she headed out, she pretended to stick her tongue in disgust at the Terrible Terrors, and ran away from Hubbles, the Deadly Nadder, and Singingbaby, the Monstrous Nightmare. Sage had never figured out how Dofri's parents had come up with such ridiculous names for their dragons.

"Snotlout Snotlout, Oi Oi Oi!" A voice cut Sage's thoughts. Her eyes widened when she caught a figure approaching her from the side. His black hair and iron helmet were unquestionable…the "man of the hour, "Why, hello," He said once reaching Sage. Hookfang, his red Monstrous Nightmare, followed close behind, eying her but kept an absent-minded look in his eyes.

She sent Snotlout a glare, and didn't respond. Sage wanted to throw an axe, or a hammer (anything really!) at his head. But her façade grumbled at the thought. Instead, she started away from the forest.

But he followed, "Oh. I know. Too stunned by the Snotman," Sage pretended he was nothing more than a ghost. However, pretend only worked for so long, "because I'm irresistibly handsome and charming. You know, woman from all over the archipelago come to see these muscles," Sage caught him flex and rolled her eyes…without the facades influence.

There was nothing on earth that would force her to like this guy…in any shape or form. She'd rather chance her luck with Ivari. Rolling her eyes, Sage's head snapped in his direction. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Of course not," Snotlout smiled, crossing his arms over his chest, "And even if I did, Snotlout is too important. No one would leave him behind. Right Hookfang?"

Hookfang rolled his eyes, opened his wings and took off. Snotlout fists clenched up, "Hookfang! Get back here you ungrateful dragon." Sage walked away, stretching her fingers, "I told him to do that…" She heard Snotlout say, before racing after his dragon and yelling, "Hookfang! HOOKFANG!"

She shook her head, and started walking faster…until her eyes caught something sitting in the path in front and she stopped.

The little yellow Gronckle, with its behind in the air, let out a high-pitched growl and glared at Sage. She rolled her eyes, "Move, Gronckle."

It didn't let up. The dragon continued to growl. Sage rolled her eyes, "In case you didn't get the memo," She crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't like dragons. Don't. Like. Dragons. Beat it. You're not scary." She redirected herself around the baby and started towards Dorfri's house located on the other side of the island.

Her ears picked up little movement as she rounded the bend. There was little brush around the village because most of the ground of some sort of rock cobblestone. Not like Sage cared. Her thoughts were cut when she heard something growling behind her. Her head snapped in noise's direction to see…a small, chubby dragon with its behind in the air, "Stupid dragon…" Her façade muttered, and she continued on her way.

And as she got closer to the house, her ears perked again. This time there was no growling; but the sound of scratching and clawing. Her eyes snatched the sight of the yellow baby up on its hind legs, going after a barrel that looked empty minus a single fish hanging out of the side. The baby whimpered, it's stomach rumbling with hunger. Sage stopped in her tracks. Her façade told her to keep going, but her eyes were fixed on the baby as its cries grew louder and louder.

Then, without thinking, her legs forced her to approach the barrel, her hands grabbed the fish and she dropped on the ground. With a grunt she glared, "Eat. And stop following me."

The baby's chubby tail wagged as it munched on the fish in delight. Something Sage hadn't seen in a while. A happy baby dragon. Over the years she'd seen few babies (enough, of course, to differentiate what belonged to what) but those she saw looked sour and helpless. They'd fall on to their stomachs and growl as their stomach's rumbled.

Sage forced a grunt. Now the little one may not follow her. She started to walk off…when a loud burp and affectionate growl caught her ears again. Darn. Something brushed up against her ankles. Her eyes snapped to the baby, eyes closed, and head of warts rubbing against her leg. It felt like rocks. She glared, stepping forward quickly and away from the baby, "Leave!" The yellow Gronckle followed, rubbing its head against her ankles. She jumped forward, "Go away!"

The Gronckle didn't listen. For the third time, Sage jumped forward…but this time she darted down the path and away from the baby. She didn't care how fast she had to run or how long it would take. She had to get rid of the Gronckle. Unfortunately, when she rounded the last bend, the yellow Gronckle caught up and landed on her head.

"My head!" Sage exclaimed, "get off my head!" She went to push the baby off but it jumped and flew just as her arm was to hit it. The yellow Gronckle landed, its big eyes meeting hers before lifting its chubby tail into the air and breathing heavily with its tongue hanging out of its mouth. Sage growled, "Stop it." But it was as if she'd never spoke. The baby didn't budge.

Sage groaned with frustration. This little dragon wasn't getting the message. Her façade didn't want its butt following her all the way home. And even if it did want the dragon, Dorfri's parents had three…scratch that, five dragons living under the same roof. She thought, "Gronckle expert. Gronckle expert," The only person who'd be able to help her was a Gronckle expert. Sage groaned, "Fishlegs." And then it hit her, "Fishlegs. Wait a minute," She smiled. This was her ticket! Her answer! This little chubby baby was the key to the dragon riders! And she was going to take it.

Her façade forced an evil grin as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Little dragon. Come. We're going to find Fishlegs."


	7. Chapter Six: The Dragon Hater

**Chapter Six:** _The Dragon Hater_  
 **DOB Episode:** Live and Let Fly

 **A/N:** I may rewrite this in the future, but this is what we got now. Hope ya’ll enjoyed~

Even with the consuming darkness, Sage hid in the shadows of the Viking huts. The moon had yet to reach its full peak. She could hear echoes of laughter coming from the Great Hall. She rolled her eyes, _That much fun should be outlaws. All fun should be outlawed._

Little yellow Gronckle ran after her. Sage wished she could shake the little brat. Its bump, roughy surface rubbed against her leg whenever she halted for a moment, “No!” said Sage, “go away!” But no matter how many times she whispered, waved her arms or tried to lose the little guy, he graced her ankles with his bumpy hide. Her facade bubbled and danced with delight whenever Sage screamed or she felt the dragon rubbing against her ankle, _This is just too easy!_

Sage was not sure how long she wandered around Berk, ducking into shadows and diving into barrels at the sight of Vikings passing on the streets. Or how many times she re-positioned herself behind a house, and groaned at the Gronckle who sidestepped the meaning of ‘stealth.’

“You’re gonna get me caught!” said Sage repeatedly, her eyes drooping.

The little yellow Gronckle stuck out it’s chubby stub of a tail, it’s eyes widened.

Sage groaned, “Brat…” She trekked back the way she had come with the little guy trailing behind her. Her arms became heavier and heavier with every step she took. By the time she reached Dofrifjall’s house, Sage felt like she’d fall over at any moment.

No light leaked through the house windows. A moment of relief washed over Sage. She pictured herself turning the handle and top toeing across the floor silently, eventually settling into her odour filler room, and allowing sleep to overcome her. 

But as her hand settled on to the doorknob, she felt something rough rubbing against her ankle.

Sage sighed, “What am I gonna do with you?”

‘Dump it’ screamed Sage’s facade, ‘in the forest. It’ll be safe there until dawn!’

‘No!’ said Sage’s gut, ‘Then you’ll have to spend half your morning looking for it! It’s your ticket into the dragon rider’s inner circle! Keep it close!’

‘I never thought of that’ said Sage’s facade, ‘but don’t take it in with you! That shows sentiment. Lock it in the family stable!’

The young viking stared at the small wooden stable attached to the family home, and approached it quickly with the baby dragon on her tail.

Sage pressed her ear against the barn door, but there was not a peep; only empty silence/ She put both hands on the door and pulled slowly to make as little noise as possible. The spacious area inside had little peep holes where moonlight steamed in, and on to the large pules of hay scattered throughout.

“Perfect,” said Sage, “in you go little butt.”

Little yellow Gronckle peered inside. As it stared, Sage rolled her eyes, and pushed the baby in with her foot. For a second, the baby Gronckle stared at sage. But a yawn escaped it’s lips, and it tumbled into a pile of hay.

Sage cleared the barn before the baby could change its mind. It was like a huge load fell off her shoulders. They felt lighter. She took a deep breath and smirked, “Goodnight loose. Thanks for volunteering.”

Tomorrow would be a new day.

Tomorrow, the read work would begin.

________________

Afternoon approached faster the next day than Sage thought possible. Before she knew it, the sun had reached it’s peak, and she was staring at the little baby Gronckle.

“All right, little guy,” said Sage, “time to do your part.”

But Sage had thought all night until her mind had drifted into the deep realm of sleep, and she hadn’t figured out where Fishlegs could be. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, she determined to visit the Dragon Training Arena first. If all else failed, she’d force the little Gronckle to follow her while she “hid” in search of her victim.

Sage rolled her shoulders, throwing glares at Vikings as they passed her. They muttered to each other, and stared for a second too long. Or she thoughts so. She never understood the fascination with staring, or why people did it “accidentally.” Did they want the other party catching them? Were they so dim witted that they couldn’t tell when they were staring? It was a mystery. Sage started towards the training arena, muttering nonsense to herself. Loud enough so it echoed and sliced through the air. Little yellow Gronckle’s stomach rumbled. Sage sighed, “After.” And she sped up with the little guy on her tail.

Minutes later, Sage stood outside the Dragon Training Academy with arms on hips. She peered inside, and found Fishlegs and Hiccup standing over something with their backs to her. Little Gronckle titled its head, eying her and panting like a dog. Sage glared it, “Play your role.” She knew it didn’t understand, but she didn’t care. She cracked her shoulders, and stormed into the arena, “FISHLEGS.”

A husky boy jumped five feet in the air. His hair was blonde, and his clothes brown and worn. A brown Gronckle and jet black Night Fury lay within the arena several feet away, but didn’t bother to stir. They only peered at her for a moment, before shutting their eyes and falling back to a deep sleep.

Hiccup and Fishlegs turned abruptly, keeping their arms behind their backs and smiling in a way that made Sage want to puke. _Acting at their finest. Weirdos._

She crossed her arms over her chest, “What are you hiding?” _Not like I care. But I gotta pretend, right?_

“H-hiding?” said Hiccup, “we aren’t hiding anything. What could we possible be hiding?”

Sage sighed, “I don’t actually care. Fishlegs,” she turned to Fishlegs, tilting your head, “I hear your the Gronckle expert in these parts.”

“E-expert?” said Fishlegs, “I wouldn’t say I’m an “expert-”

“Great,” Sage took a step to the left, exposing the little yellow baby, “get rid of it.”

“E-excuse me?”

“Get rid of it,” said Sage. The little yellow Gronckle closed the gap, and rubbed its bumpy hide on her ankles, “I don’t care how. I want it gone.”

Silence creeped by for several minutes. Sage couldn’t decided who to stare at. Hiccup’s face fell, and Fishleg’s head fell back.

Sage glared, “Now!”

Hiccup and Fishlegs exchanged looks for a second, “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“What?”

“And even if it were,” said Hiccup, “w-why would you? It’s a dragon.”

“Are we gonna to run around the bush again?” said Sage, shaking her foot, “it’s following me. It’s creepy. If you can’t get rid of it, get it away from me.”

Seconds of silence rolled by. Sage deepened her glare and crossed her arms over her chest. These losers stared at a loss. She caught a glimmer of disappointment in Hiccup’s eyes.

“Dragons are amazing creatures,” said Hiccup. Sage bit the bottom of her lip as if bracing for a long lecture. Correction. She _was_ bracing for a lecture, “with their own unique abilities.”

Fishlegs nods his head, “And Gronckles-“

“Shut up,” said Sage, “I didn’t come for a lecture.”

Fishlegs snaps his mouth shut, pulling his arms tighter against his clothes. 

“I came to get rid of the dragon,” said Sage, “I don’t want it following me. But if that is _impossible_ for you,  I underestimated your abilities as dragon riders. I will do it _myself.”_

Sage turned her back on the duo and stormed away, with the Gronckle on her tail. She swore she heard a small growl come from the pit of its chest before it retreated after her.


	8. Chapter Seven: The Treasure Seeker

**Chapter Seven:** _The Treasure Seeker_  
 **Episode:** _Live and Let Fly_  
 _Please Note: This is no longer a Hiccup x OC fan fiction. It's a Snotlout x OC fan fiction. It makes more sense haha_

Sage’s façade screamed at her. It felt like someone was tugging at her chest, crushing her lungs and slamming her forehead with a blunt instrument. But she tightened her fists around the piece of parchment stuffed deep into her pocket, and set out across the dark forest. She couldn’t forget those weird symbols. Or the girl with orange hair who threw her glares so stiff, she couldn’t help but swallow and pray she didn’t eat her.

Bur her façade wouldn’t leave it alone.

‘Stop!’ said Sage’s façade, ‘If you go back to that cave, you’ll get caught.’

‘So?’ said Sage’s gut.

‘So…the riders will get suspicious,’ said Sage’s façade, ‘if they find you poking around, they’ll figure out you aren’t who you say you are.’

Sage scoffed, ‘They won’t get suspicious.’

‘Yes they will.’

‘And if they do, so what?’ said Sage’s gut, ‘it could be key to getting into the Rider’s inner circle.’

‘We already have a way in,’ said Sage’s façade, ‘if I could draw your attention to the chubby dragon tailing us. We don’t need another.’

‘You always need a back-up plan,’ said Sage’s gut, ‘this won’t hurt.’

‘Did you not listen to a word I just said?’ said Sage’s façade.

Sage rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the bickering as it continued. Her chest welled up as she pushed through the trees, and felt the brush rub against her ankles. Did it matter what other people thought? Probably; but the symbols had been running through her head since she’d left Fishlegs and Hiccup to their “secrets.” She hadn’t been able to forget they existed. Besides, Viggo had shown great…delight whenever she had a moment of curiosity. He’d be proud of her. She was sure of it.

Maybe.

Something heaved behind her, “I told you to go home,” said Sage, “I fed you after we left the arena. What more do you want?”

Little yellow Gronckle jumped out of the bush, tongue hanging out of its mouth, panting as if it had just finished a day of hard training. Sage doubted the little guy would survive against any of the beasties Viggo had forced her to fight. Though she’d never been offered the name, she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was how fast they ran, when they would attack and avoiding whatever they tried.

Sage shook her head as the memories flooded in. The _only_ memories. She was not sure how she ended up with Viggo. Though he had told her sad tales of a young child hanging on to a crate in the middle of the ocean, and the kindness of her crew to drag the child on deck and keep her. There was no doubt she was grateful. The scars on her back proved that.

The forest thickened for but a second before Sage stepped into a familiar opening. The sun glistened against the rock, and as clear as day sage gazed upon a jumble of symbols etched above the cave door.

Sage had seen weird symbols scribbled on parchment pieces in Dorfrifjall's home, and on banners from the dragon parade. These were not like those.

Unlike those lines that looked as if they were written for purpose, these were scattered as if placed at random. Sage glanced around. The day was still, with not so much as a ruffle in the bushes. Her eyes darted to a sudden rustling in the bushes, but sighed when the little yellow Gronckle pounced, wagging it’s chubby tail.

Sage groaned, but slowly crept towards the cavern wall. When she got closer, she glanced over the symbols. There were diagonal lines, squares with circles within, boxes, and dots.

‘Why are we still here?’ said Sage’s façade.

‘Because we want to look at this,’ said Sage’s gut.

‘Uh, no we don’t.’ said Sage’s façade. Sage glanced around for something to stand on to get a better glimpse, but found not a rock in side, ‘this is completely unnecessary.’

‘Seriously man?’ said Sage’s gut, ‘we talked about this a moment ago. This could be important.’

‘Important how?’ said Sage’s façade, ‘some long lost treasure with a million death traps?’

‘And enough money for the Academy,’ said Sage’s gut, ‘we can get into the dragon riding academy.’

‘We have our ticket in,’ said Sage’s façade, ‘why do you forget the little chubby thing?’

‘I haven’t,’ said Sage’s gut, ‘but this is a good back-‘

‘Don’t say back-up plan,’ said Sage’s façade, ‘I don’t care about a back-up plan.’

‘Chill, man,’ said Sage’s gut.

‘I gotta chill?’ said Sage’s façade. Sage stuffed her hand deep into her pockets and pulled out the charcoal and parchment piece she had stuffed into her pocket before leaving Dorfrifjall’s house.

‘What is she doing?’ said Sage’s façade.

‘What does it look like?’

Sage quickly scribbled down the symbols.

‘Why is she doing that?’ said Sage’s façade, ‘Don’t do that.’

‘Calm down macho macho,’ said Sage’s gut, ‘with the symbols on parchment, we don’t have to come back.’

‘Are you joking?’ said Sage’s façade, ‘what if someone see it? It’ll look suspicious. A random stranger-‘

‘It will not,’ said Sage’s gut, ‘Viggo liked curiosity, remember?’

‘But we’re undercover,’ said Sage’s façade.

Sage rolled her eyes, finalizing the last symbol and stuff the materials back into her pocket. She turned to see the little yellow Gronckle yawn, “I need to get out of here before.”

“‘hose there!?”

 _Before that._ Sage jumped into a nearby bush and tip toed away, jumping behind a tree. Little yellow Gronckle followed, tilting it’s head.

Sage peaked, seeing a familiar orange haired Viking girl and grey Changewing.

Amor growled. Sage’s eyes widened.

“Someone’s been ‘ere,” said Ivari, “someone that shouldn’t ‘ave been.”

Little yellow Gronckle tilted its head. Sage breathed deeply, “Time to go.”

Suddenly, the up took off running into the woods. Sage didn’t care what direction they went. Her entire being screamed at her to get as far away from the rascals as possible, and for a moment she felt a slight freedom sweep in.

And then she heard the brushing of bushes, and trees swaying behind her, “Get ‘em Amor,” said Ivari, “Get ‘em!”

Sage’s eyes widened, “Hurry up, cupcake.”

Little yellow Gronckle trailed behind her, flying every once and a while to keep up. Suddenly, the baby stopped to take in deep breaths. Sage groaned.

‘Grab it,’ said her gut, ‘you need the dragon to get into the riding academy.’

Sage expected the façade to argue, but when it remained still she groaned and scooped the baby in her arms, “If we get caught, it’s your fault.” Sage darted in between trees and brush.

The baby Gronckle’s tongue hung outside its mouth, slobber fell on to her arm. Sage winced as the thick slime fell down her arm, _Disgusting._

“Faster Amor!” said Ivari.

Sage’s eyes swept the scene as she continued weaving around trees and jumping over bushes, _Hiding spot. Hiding spot. Hiding spot._

Her eyes fell on a bush, _too obvious._ And a tree, _too out there._ But then she found a larger cluster of trees close together.

Without hesitating, Sage darted for the trees and climbed as quick as possible until she reached the highest branch. From her spot, she could see the rustling of brush. Moments passed before Ivari and Amor came into view. Their eyes danced around them.

“I know yer here somewhere,” said Ivari, “we’re gonna find ya.”

Sage held her breath, tightening her grip on the little yellow Gronckle who was so close to whimpering; she could felt its stomach begin to rumble. For a few seconds Amor snapped his head at her tree, and she thought he’d discover her. But then Amor roared, stamping his feet.

Ivari growled, “Ya stupid little runt. Yer a dragon,” She hit the top of Amor’s head, “A Changewing. Yer suppose to be invincible!” But Amor roared in response, snapping his head to look at her. Ivari sighed, “Whatever, lets go back to the cave. Gotta find more shiny things for ma new sword.”

Amor let out an ear-piercing roar, before disappeared into the brush. For minutes, Sage sat holding her breath, gripping little yellow Gronckle and listening to thick silence.

She sighed, and retreated down the tree as quickly as possible. The moment her feet hit the ground, she released her grip on little yellow Gronckle. The dragon fell to the ground and stood up, shaking and yawning. Sage rolled her eyes.

And then it hit her.

Sage’s eyes darted all over the place. To the cluster of trees to her far right, and the extensive brush to her left. It wasn’t recognizable. She didn’t recognize _anything._

She had no idea where she was.


	9. Chapter Eight: The Girl Who Knows Not

**A/N:** Sorry for the update delay! Honestly, I just wanted to get this chapter up xD Enjoy!

 **Chapter Eight:** The Girl Who Knows Not  
**Episode:**   _Live and Let Fly - Defenders of Berk_

Wherever she was, the the trees had thickened. When she tried to peer in between the trees, she saw no more than a foot or two in front. It was a frustrating situation. The kind she wanted to avoid at all costs. If someone caught her wandering the dense forest, they would ask questions. And Sage, knowing full well what questions led to, wanted to avoid any sort of lie web. Alas, it seemed that there was but little choice. Sage rolled her shoulders. She attempted to tune out the distant screams of, “I told you so” from her facade. Even her gut had fallen silent.

The yellow dragon stood on the tips of Sage’s feet. Its eyes widened and its tongue hung from its mouth, panting.

“Stuck in the forest with a bloody dragon,” Sage said, “brilliant.”

There was no way to tell where she was or which way was correct. No rivers that swooped in and around bends; no running water that could lead her home. And anything she’d learnt from Viggo about stars had evaporated years ago because his words had gone in one ear and out the other.

She was done for.

Sage rolled her shoulders, defeat threatening to sink its claws into her and bring her to the ground so she could cry in a heap. But she would not give up. Not yet, “All right, chubby,” Sage said, “let’s find a way out of here.”

As if the dragon could understand her, it twirled on the spot and bounded away. Sage frowned, “Get back here, you ungrateful little child!” She ran after the dragon, tripped over something and crumpled to the ground face down.

Pushing herself off the ground she stared at the thing she tripped over. The chubby little Gronckle, “You did that on purpose.”

The little heap of baby dragon lifted it’s tail and wagged it ferociously as it let it’s tongue slip from it’s mouth.

Sage wanted to scream. This little dragon made he want to hurtle it over the horizon. Maybe she would when they found the horizon. She jumped to her feet and brushed her pants, “Follow me, Chubby, and keep quiet.”

They ventured deeper into the woods. Sage let nothing into her head, wandering as far as her legs would carry. The heat of the late afternoon was disintegrating. A breeze washed over her, relieving her of some of the sweat that had plastered herself to her skin.

Every one and a while, the little chubby dragon would cry, and Sage had to cover her ears for the sound was aggravating. She’d rather listen to the adult dragons back on Viggo’s island, howling in the middle of the night as if it would set them free, “Shut. Up.” Sage snapped.

And then the dragon would go quiet...until it started up again a while later. Sage growled, muttering curses and planning dozens of ways to murder the little creature in it’s sleep if it wouldn’t shut up.

Sage pushed back a bush, and saw something she’d been hoping for since they started out. Or one of the things she’d been hoping for. She stood on a hill overlooking a large beach, and water that went beyond the horizon. The sky had tinges of pinks and oranges with darkness starting to loom around her, “Ah, finally.” She left the safety of the forest and crossed the terrain, down the cliff, and when her sandals hit the soft sand she sighed.

The little chubby dragon bolted past her. She hadn’t realized the tiny thing had maneuvered the cliff. It ran to the water, and when it got to the edge of the sand where the waves lapped up, it stuck it’s little chubby tail in the air and growled.

Sage rolled her eyes.

The beach was isolated. She walked to both ends of the beach, but could not see Berk. Which meant she’d have to find Berk in the morning, and explain why she’d gotten lost in the forest. Meaning more lies. Sage had rehearsed so many lies in her head before her mission started. All with intricate details. Of course, she could come up with another lie for this adventure, but she wasn’t interested in accidentally letting something slip, or telling another lie that would conflict with another.

As Sage made a fishing rod from stuff she found in the forest, she tried to concoct a lie that would work.

“Maybe,” Her facade said, “you could tell them that you saw something suspicious in the forest. Perhaps a great beast with giant wings.”

Sage rolled her eyes at the idea. Her facade scoffed, “Do you have a better idea?”

“I do,” Sage’s gut said, “let’s tell the truth. We could say-”

“No, no, no! Telling them is out of the question.”

“And why is that? It does not harm us.”

“It harms our image,” her facade said, “curiosity, my dear, is a thing we must keep hidden from the others. If we are caught sneaking somewhere we shouldn’t be, or somewhere suspicious, we may have to tell a unprepared lie. If we tell too many, one is bound to contradict and then where would we be?”

“Curiosity is not a crime,” Sage’s gut said, “and there are risks we must take. For instance, that book of dragons? That would be a good tool. A source of information for Viggo and his plans. If we could get our hands on that, we’d surely be praised.”

“For once, I agree with you,” Sage’s facade said, “however, we must be cautious. If we run after that book without probable cause, the others could become suspicious. We must be patient.”

Sage nodded with satisfaction.

“Good, good,” Sage’s facade said, “now, we still have to decide what to tell people if we get caught out here.”

“I still say tell them the truth,” Sage’s gut said.

“No....but wait. I think I have a better idea.”

“A better idea?”

“Yes. Instead of making ourselves look suspicious, we could say that there are too many people in the village. And we wanted to escape for a while. But we got lost because we aren’t good at navigating around the forest. That way, we’ve covered up the lie with a partial truth and risk little exposure.”

A short silence followed. Sage thought for a moment. That was a good solution.

Finally, Sage’s gut sighed, “Yes. I think that would work. But be careful. For you talk of not lying and then provide lies as a cover-up. One will eventually kick us in the rear.”

Sage tuned out the voices and smile unapologetic-ally. She hoped this would work for her benefit.

By the time the sun had long fallen over the horizon, Sage had a fire burning on the sand. She held out a stick with a fresh caught fish, and tossed a raw fish towards the dragon, of whom she decided she would nickname Chubby,

The little Gronckle chomped down on the fish, then curled up on it’s back and closed its eyes. Sage shook her head, and brought the fish on a stick away from the fire so she could blow on it. She slowly ate the fish, savoring every bite and feeling mighty grateful for her survival lessons and trials at the hands of Viggo. Several times a year, Viggo would leave her on a random island and would return at random. Sometimes days, and sometimes months. He told her it was to test the survival knowledge she’d been taught. She thought it was really annoying. However, she was grateful at this moment.

A noise pierced the silent night,“Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi Oi Oi!”

Sage groaned. She looked into the sky and saw nothing at first. And then something in the sky lit on fire, and she recognized the thing as a Monstrous Nightmare. With a person on its neck. And it was heading right for them.

 _Okay._ Sage thought, _If he asks, I’ll tell him I needed to get away from Berk because it was too busy and I got lost. Berk was too busy and I got lost._

Hookfang landed on the beach.

Snotlout gave a crooked grin,“Why hello there,” He jumped off Hookfang, “I was just in the neighbourhood. On my way to some super secret business.”

Sage rolled her eyes. She wanted to know what Snotlout was talking about, but her facade cautioned her against asking, so she kept her mouth shut. Instead she crossed her arms, “You seem strong.”

“Oh, so you noticed?” Snotlout flexed his muscles.

 _I bet i’m stronger than you._ Sage smiled, “Good. Then you and your dragon can take my and the Chubby dragon back to Berk.”

Snotlout stared at Sage for but a moment, then let out a burst of laughter, “That’s funny. I thought you said you wanted me and Hookfang to take you back to Berk.” Sage and Snotlout exchanged looks for a moment, and his face fell, “I don’t do things for free. What’s in it for me?” Snotlout smiled.

Sage pretended to think, “I’m sure I can think of…something.” She touched his arm, “Snottie-pie.”

For a moment, he looked like he was going to fall over. His face went pale, “Don’t touch me!” He jumped back, “don’t you know of personal space!?

“Please.”

Snotlout groaned, “Fine. Just….don’t touch me again.”

“Okay. Snottie-pie.”

“And don’t call me that.”

_Oh, how I wish I could._

Sage threw water on the fire, gathered Chubby in her arms and mounted Hookfang. Snotlout followed, muttering something about women. Hookfang lifted them into the sky and soared towards the stars. Snotlout started bragging about his muscles. They rounded the island, and when they came upon the silent village of Berk, Sage sighed silently to herself.


End file.
